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The Maroon A LOYOLA TRADITION SINCE 1 923 • "FOR A GREATER LOYOLA" ONLINE EDITION AT LOYOLAMAROON.COM FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2009 Vol. 87, NO. 7 SGA president asks two justices to resign Secret society 1540 at center of issue By EDUARDO GONZALEZ Senior Staff Writer The Student Government Association president asked two court justices to resign from their positions because she believes they are members of 1540, a secret society at Loyola. SG A President and marketing junior, Sarah Cooper, asked finance senior Blake Gable and mass communication senior Brian Dirden, to resign. In April of 2009, when Cooper had to decide who would be on the court, former SGA President Cade Cypriano, A'o9, and Cooper approached both justices and asked for their resignations. Cypriano was certain of their membership and said Chris Cameron, the former director of co-curricular activities who no longer works at Loyola, and Marcia "Cissy" Petty, vice president for Student Affairs and associate provost, both confirmed their memberships. "Their denial was cause for concern because their membership had already been confirmed by an anonymous source and then confirmed through the administration," he said. "The fact that they were dishonest and not forthright with their membership led to concerns of their ability to serve effectively in positions that require the utmost respect and transparency." Dirden resigned saying he would not have time to perform his duties as a justice. He said he was not a member of 1540. "I don't even know if 1540 exists," he said. "However, I was approached by Cade Cypriano and Sarah Cooper for me to resign as a justice because Clitics eye city's ethics committee By JOHN ADAMS Senior Staff Writer University president the Rev. Kevin Wildes, S.J. juggles his duties as Loyola's president with the role of getting New Orleans' Ethics Review Board of the ground. The main role of the Ethics Review Board is to hire the city's inspector general, the first of which whom. Robert Cerasoli. was recently criticized in an internal report for his record keeping, wasting thousands of dollars and hiring a former student with little experience for a top position. The report, commissioned by the first inspector general's successor, Bob Odom. who quit the job in September, was questioned by a city ethics official. "It is all being reviewed by the state auditor," Wildes said. "They should have their report out soon. We will work with and live by their findings." Since the board was formed Wildes said they have been mainly setting up policies and procedures for how the board and the inspector general's office should run. Other duties of the board include enforcing the city's ethics code, referring cases for investigation to the inspector general, conduct hearings and issuing penalties. However, the board's main focus has been getting the board and inspector general's office opperating. The Ethics Review Board is a volunteer-based committee of seven New Orleans citizens who are nominated by the local college presidents, appointed by Mayor Ray Nagin and then approved by the city council. The chairman of the board is voted on by its members, an election Wildes has won three years in a row. Following Hurricane Katrina, city officials asked Wildes to the serve on a committee to judge government effectiveness and efficiency. While on the board Wildes discovered the city's charter of ethics, which was created in the 19905, were never implemented. In 2006, Mayor Nagin began to implement this city charter, which is when local college president nominated Wildes to be a member of the Ethics Review Board. Wildes believes his past experience Jersey Girls KEVIN ZANSIER/The Maroon Marketing senior, Alpha Chi Omega Social Chairwoman and Maroon Advertising Manager Sarah Bearden, center right, and mass communication junior and Delta Gamma Director of Activities Julia Russler shed layers of sorority shirts at the Pi Chi revealing Monday, Oct. 12 in the Audubon Room. Panhellenic holds Recruitment Week Events bring in 90 new members By PRECIOUS ESIE Contributing Writer Loyalty, leadership, sisterhood and service — that's what Loyola sororities champion as their values. Every year, the new members they recruit expand and alter these descriptions and characteristics that define each sorority on campus. This year, 118 women signed up for Loyola's Panhellenic Council recruitment week, held Oct. 7-12, hoping to join the ranks of Alpha Chi Omega, Delta Gamma, Gamma Phi Beta or Theta Phi Alpha with 91 women receiving bids. Convocation: These potential new members were to arrive at the St. Charles Room for the hour-long convocation at 7 p.m. Here, everyone found out what group they were in and who their Pi Chi recruitment counselor was. A Pi Chi is a woman who temporarily disaffiliates herself from a sorority in order to lead others with an unbiased view. Once the potential new members checked in, they were separated into their groups, which had a board game theme, such as Twister, Cranium, Monopoly and Life. However, it wasn't a board game night that was planned, but a fashion show of what to wear and what not Former student charged with theft Used Panhellenic credit card for personal purchases By JEAN PAUL ARGUELLO Assistant News Editor Potentially fraudulent purchases on a Loyola Panhellenic Council credit card have landed a former panhellenic officer in jail. Marie d'Auria Groux-Holt, who was a mass communication student scheduled to graduate in May 2009, has since left the university. According to court documents, she used the credit card, intended for Panhellenic purchases only, for more than $3,000 in personal purchases from October 200S to February of 2009. Groux-Holt was arrested at her home in Jefferson. La. on Feb. 19 and later released without bail. Groux-Holt, an alumna of Theta Phi Alpha, was serving as vice president of recruitment for Loyola'schapterof the Panhellenic Council, the governing body overseeing Loyola sororities when the charges were made. Last year, no one held the position of finance officer for Panhellenic Council. Because of this, the Panhellenic Council placed Groux-Holt in charge of some purchasing and therefore held the credit card. Groux-Holt made her first appearance in court June 2. The charges, totaling $3,252.89, included paying for other people's tabs. According to court documents, Groux-Holt said it gave her a "feeling of empowerment" to make these charges. Groux-Holt said in an e-mail, "To my knowledge, at least $2000 of the alleged charges were actually spent on recruitment costs. I never said that anything 'gave me a sense Loyola's grade improves in Sustainability Report By JARED BROOKS Contributing Writer Loyola earned a C- on its attention to the environment as judged by the Sustainable Endowments Institute, a nonprofit group that researches and promotes environmentally friendly practices on college campuses. In its 2010 College Sustainability Report Card, the group gave sustainability grades to Loyola and the 331 other public and private universities with the country's largest endowments. Loyola received a grade of F in three out of the eight categories, including green building endowment transparency and shareholder engagement Robert Thomas, professor of mass communication and director of the Center of Environmental Communications said, "You will and can expect and change in these grades. We're eager to do better, especially since the president and provost are on board." Thomas also addressed the last three categories, which are endowment transparency, investments priorities and shareholder engagement "We filled out the forms in June and July, what happened in November? The bottom fail in, we lost 100 million dollars in investments, this was not the best time to invest, because we replaced staff, and checked policies. They just could not afford to react. But they are working on improving," he said. Loyola received B's in food and see 1540, page 5 see SISTERS, page 13 see CREDIT, page 16 see GREEN, page 16 see ETHICS, page 4 Save your cents See Life &Times Page 6 Ui J MAROON DIRECTORY: CRIME WATCH, page 2 | LIFE & TIMES, page 6 | SPORTS, page 10 7 EDITORIAL, page 14 I NEWS TIPS: 504 865 3535

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The Maroon A LOYOLA TRADITION SINCE 1 923 • "FOR A GREATER LOYOLA" ONLINE EDITION AT LOYOLAMAROON.COM FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2009 Vol. 87, NO. 7 SGA president asks two justices to resign Secret society 1540 at center of issue By EDUARDO GONZALEZ Senior Staff Writer The Student Government Association president asked two court justices to resign from their positions because she believes they are members of 1540, a secret society at Loyola. SG A President and marketing junior, Sarah Cooper, asked finance senior Blake Gable and mass communication senior Brian Dirden, to resign. In April of 2009, when Cooper had to decide who would be on the court, former SGA President Cade Cypriano, A'o9, and Cooper approached both justices and asked for their resignations. Cypriano was certain of their membership and said Chris Cameron, the former director of co-curricular activities who no longer works at Loyola, and Marcia "Cissy" Petty, vice president for Student Affairs and associate provost, both confirmed their memberships. "Their denial was cause for concern because their membership had already been confirmed by an anonymous source and then confirmed through the administration," he said. "The fact that they were dishonest and not forthright with their membership led to concerns of their ability to serve effectively in positions that require the utmost respect and transparency." Dirden resigned saying he would not have time to perform his duties as a justice. He said he was not a member of 1540. "I don't even know if 1540 exists," he said. "However, I was approached by Cade Cypriano and Sarah Cooper for me to resign as a justice because Clitics eye city's ethics committee By JOHN ADAMS Senior Staff Writer University president the Rev. Kevin Wildes, S.J. juggles his duties as Loyola's president with the role of getting New Orleans' Ethics Review Board of the ground. The main role of the Ethics Review Board is to hire the city's inspector general, the first of which whom. Robert Cerasoli. was recently criticized in an internal report for his record keeping, wasting thousands of dollars and hiring a former student with little experience for a top position. The report, commissioned by the first inspector general's successor, Bob Odom. who quit the job in September, was questioned by a city ethics official. "It is all being reviewed by the state auditor," Wildes said. "They should have their report out soon. We will work with and live by their findings." Since the board was formed Wildes said they have been mainly setting up policies and procedures for how the board and the inspector general's office should run. Other duties of the board include enforcing the city's ethics code, referring cases for investigation to the inspector general, conduct hearings and issuing penalties. However, the board's main focus has been getting the board and inspector general's office opperating. The Ethics Review Board is a volunteer-based committee of seven New Orleans citizens who are nominated by the local college presidents, appointed by Mayor Ray Nagin and then approved by the city council. The chairman of the board is voted on by its members, an election Wildes has won three years in a row. Following Hurricane Katrina, city officials asked Wildes to the serve on a committee to judge government effectiveness and efficiency. While on the board Wildes discovered the city's charter of ethics, which was created in the 19905, were never implemented. In 2006, Mayor Nagin began to implement this city charter, which is when local college president nominated Wildes to be a member of the Ethics Review Board. Wildes believes his past experience Jersey Girls KEVIN ZANSIER/The Maroon Marketing senior, Alpha Chi Omega Social Chairwoman and Maroon Advertising Manager Sarah Bearden, center right, and mass communication junior and Delta Gamma Director of Activities Julia Russler shed layers of sorority shirts at the Pi Chi revealing Monday, Oct. 12 in the Audubon Room. Panhellenic holds Recruitment Week Events bring in 90 new members By PRECIOUS ESIE Contributing Writer Loyalty, leadership, sisterhood and service — that's what Loyola sororities champion as their values. Every year, the new members they recruit expand and alter these descriptions and characteristics that define each sorority on campus. This year, 118 women signed up for Loyola's Panhellenic Council recruitment week, held Oct. 7-12, hoping to join the ranks of Alpha Chi Omega, Delta Gamma, Gamma Phi Beta or Theta Phi Alpha with 91 women receiving bids. Convocation: These potential new members were to arrive at the St. Charles Room for the hour-long convocation at 7 p.m. Here, everyone found out what group they were in and who their Pi Chi recruitment counselor was. A Pi Chi is a woman who temporarily disaffiliates herself from a sorority in order to lead others with an unbiased view. Once the potential new members checked in, they were separated into their groups, which had a board game theme, such as Twister, Cranium, Monopoly and Life. However, it wasn't a board game night that was planned, but a fashion show of what to wear and what not Former student charged with theft Used Panhellenic credit card for personal purchases By JEAN PAUL ARGUELLO Assistant News Editor Potentially fraudulent purchases on a Loyola Panhellenic Council credit card have landed a former panhellenic officer in jail. Marie d'Auria Groux-Holt, who was a mass communication student scheduled to graduate in May 2009, has since left the university. According to court documents, she used the credit card, intended for Panhellenic purchases only, for more than $3,000 in personal purchases from October 200S to February of 2009. Groux-Holt was arrested at her home in Jefferson. La. on Feb. 19 and later released without bail. Groux-Holt, an alumna of Theta Phi Alpha, was serving as vice president of recruitment for Loyola'schapterof the Panhellenic Council, the governing body overseeing Loyola sororities when the charges were made. Last year, no one held the position of finance officer for Panhellenic Council. Because of this, the Panhellenic Council placed Groux-Holt in charge of some purchasing and therefore held the credit card. Groux-Holt made her first appearance in court June 2. The charges, totaling $3,252.89, included paying for other people's tabs. According to court documents, Groux-Holt said it gave her a "feeling of empowerment" to make these charges. Groux-Holt said in an e-mail, "To my knowledge, at least $2000 of the alleged charges were actually spent on recruitment costs. I never said that anything 'gave me a sense Loyola's grade improves in Sustainability Report By JARED BROOKS Contributing Writer Loyola earned a C- on its attention to the environment as judged by the Sustainable Endowments Institute, a nonprofit group that researches and promotes environmentally friendly practices on college campuses. In its 2010 College Sustainability Report Card, the group gave sustainability grades to Loyola and the 331 other public and private universities with the country's largest endowments. Loyola received a grade of F in three out of the eight categories, including green building endowment transparency and shareholder engagement Robert Thomas, professor of mass communication and director of the Center of Environmental Communications said, "You will and can expect and change in these grades. We're eager to do better, especially since the president and provost are on board." Thomas also addressed the last three categories, which are endowment transparency, investments priorities and shareholder engagement "We filled out the forms in June and July, what happened in November? The bottom fail in, we lost 100 million dollars in investments, this was not the best time to invest, because we replaced staff, and checked policies. They just could not afford to react. But they are working on improving," he said. Loyola received B's in food and see 1540, page 5 see SISTERS, page 13 see CREDIT, page 16 see GREEN, page 16 see ETHICS, page 4 Save your cents See Life &Times Page 6 Ui J MAROON DIRECTORY: CRIME WATCH, page 2 | LIFE & TIMES, page 6 | SPORTS, page 10 7 EDITORIAL, page 14 I NEWS TIPS: 504 865 3535